Ingredients
Cornstarch is obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel. This is the main body and juicy part of the kernel. Cornstarch is a fine, white powder with a squeaky texture and neutral flavor. It is used in many foods, particularly in America. Cornstarch makes an easy thickener for liquids, such as sauces and an excellent binding agent for baked goods. In the 1800's cornstarch was used for starching laundry, making the clothing appear stiff and professional.
Potato starch is a fine, white powder obtained from the tuberous vegetable. The potatoes are crushed and the starch is released and then dried. It has a similar consistency and feeling to cornstarch. Potato starch is bland and flavorless. It is used in food items as a binder and thickening agent.
Tapioca starch, also called tapioca flour or tapioca powder is made from the root of the cassava plant. The root is turned into a pulp using water and once the water evaporates the starch is what remains. The starch is white, fine and powdery. It has a neutral and bland starchy taste. Tapioca starch is used as binder in baked goods, a thickening agent in sauces and other liquids and creates a light and airy quality in flour products when used in the right amount.
Xanthan gum is used in food production as a thickener, stabilizer, and binder. Made from a process of fermenting sugar, the xanthan gum has a very thin powdery quality that is a pale beige with a yeast-like smell and fairly neutral flavor. A little bit goes an extremely long way. Mixed with water this substance becomes slimy, exhibiting the binding, thickening, and stabilizing properties it is used for. Xanthan gum is also popular in gluten free carbohydrates as a binder and substitute for the gluten protein.
Rice flour is made by grinding the rice grain. Rice flour can be made using white or brown rice, though white rice flour is used far more frequently than brown rice flour. White rice flour is white and fine like a wheat flour, but has a coarser and drier texture. Rice flour made from glutinous rice has a much finer texture and is almost like a powder. White rice flour can be used for baked goods, as well as pan-cooked flatbreads. It is useful in many savory and sweet applications. The flavor is bland.
Sorghum flour is made from an ancient grain called sorghum. The kernels are ground into flour that is light beige in color and extremely fine and soft in texture. Its flavor is sweet and mild with a very fine and soft texture. The grain is harvested from the tall bushy sorghum plant and the tiny white, round sorghum grains are used to make flour.
Brown rice flour is made from finely milled brown rice and is off white in color. Brown rice is a grain with a slightly nutty taste. The flour is fine, yet coarser than wheat flour and creates a dry quality in baked goods. It is best used in a mix of other flours. Its taste is mild and grain-like.
Water is a substance and chemical compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen. It is clear, fluid, flavorless and odorless. Water is a necessity in nearly every aspect of life, including cooking, baking and hydrating the human body. Water can be served as a cold beverage, or at any temperature comfortable to the mouth and skin.
Baking powder is a fine, white, powdery substance with a neutral smell and a very bland taste. It is an acid and used to instantly leaven baked goods. It reacts when it touches moisture and differs from yeast because of its instant leavening reaction. Baking powder is primarily used in flour-based baked goods to help cakes and cookies rise. Baking powder can be found in many non-yeast baked goods.
Baking soda is a crucial component in non-yeasted baked goods and acts as an instant leavener with the acids in the batter. It is used for cakes, quick breads and many flour-based baked goods. Baking soda is a fine white powder with a salty and bitter taste.
